A Christmas Carol
by jm-oc-ja
Summary: Christmas was never Emily's strong spot, just like every year she wonders why she even celebrates it. This year her father helps her remember. JJ/Emily, Emily Centric.
1. Chapter 1

Emily had JJ in her arms, it was Christmas eve, they had a packed day ahead of them, with meeting her mother in the morning, the team in the afternoon, and later that night they'd start on their journey to JJ's family's. Even though everyone else on the planet should be happy at the moment Emily just couldn't be. She never really liked Christmas and having it thrown in her face so much was making it harder to accept. Even if she had JJ, and she was truly happy, there was something about this season that she hated. Emily slowly pulled away from JJ and threw her legs over the side of the bed, taking her head in her hands. She felt JJ move and held her breath, after a minute when she knew JJ hadn't woken up, Emily stood up and walked downstairs. Scooter and Socks walked over to her when she sat on the couch, Socks curled up in her lap while Scooter rested his head on her shoulder.

"Hey you two." She whispered, Scooter wasn't her idea but since Emily had brought Socks with her when she moved in with JJ she couldn't refuse to let JJ get a puppy. Thankfully Scooter knew as a puppy to not get in the cat's way, she had beat it into him, literally. Socks had been with her for just around 5 years now, and knew the Christmas routine, get up, throw fits, fall asleep then non-stop family. The first year JJ was over at Emily's for Christmas Socks had glared at her from the bottom of the bed, all night. Scooter could tell when Emily wasn't happy, and even if she didn't really want him when they first got him she was glad they had him now. The big mutt was a big softie for his loved ones, but he was fiercely protective over them too, so Emily felt better leaving the house empty with him and Socks in it, knowing it was protected. Taking Scooter's muzzle in her hand she placed a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"So guys tell me, why do we even celebrate this?" She asked and sighed.

"Cause you have to." A voice answered her and Emily looked up.

"Great… See this is why people think I'm insane. Dad go away." Emily said harshly, her father had died when she was a kid, he was the only family member that truly loved Christmas, he died between Christmas and New Year's, in a car accident.

"Emily, I know this is gonna sound like a joke, but you know the story of A Christmas Carol, but honey you need it." He said putting his hand on her shoulder, Emily rolled her eyes but nodded, it was her dad after all.

x-x-x

"So let me guess past right?" Emily asked and her father nodded. Emily looked around the room, it was the house she was currently living in. "This is last year…" Emily said.

"I'd go back to when you were a kid but I thought this would be better." He said, a few minutes later they watched as Emily and JJ came down the stairs.

"This is gonna be weird isn't it?"

"Seeing yourself, yeah you don't get use to it either."

"Great."

"Do you remember last year?" He asked and Emily shook her head. "Not a good thing." He watched as his daughter and her girlfriend swapped gifts. Scooter came running into the room and grabbed a bow before taking off again, Socks hot on his puppy heels. He chuckled along with the women. He poked his daughter in the side, "Pay attention." He said and Emily smiled.

"I can't believe…"

"Shhh." He warned and Emily chuckled. In front of them Emily sat there turning a box over and over in her hands, she finally looked up at JJ who was beginning to worry. Emily moved closer to JJ and started to stutter.

"Jennifer… I… I."

"Em, honey it's ok just relax." JJ smiled and kissed Emily who smiled and nodded. Opening the box she looked up at JJ.

"Jennifer… would you honor me, and be my wife?" Emily asked and JJ stared at her and nodded, before launching at Emily and kissing her.

"Ok Em, time to go." Her father said putting a hand on her shoulder again.

"But… no."

"Emily… we are not here to watch that." He said and Emily chuckled but nodded.

"On to present?" She asked and he nodded.

"Just remember you'll be forgetting this honey." He said and Emily nodded. "But you'll be happier."

"Ok dad." She said leaning into him. They watched as gifts were once again exchanged in front of them, but this time JJ looked nervous.

"Honey, you ok?" Emily asked "You're really tense." Emily said rubbing JJ's shoulders, JJ looked up at Emily and handed her an envelope, Emily looked down at it.

"Just open it ok?" Emily nodded, opening the envelope, she pulled the paper out and started to read.

"We're… you're…" Emily stopped talking.

"Emily… honey?" JJ said turning to look at her. "Emily you ok? Honey you gotta breathe."

"We're going to be parents." Emily grinned and kissed JJ.

"I'm guessing we're about to leave again?"

"You got it." Her father smiled and laughed.

"Future, please tell me its further than a year."

"Oh it is, ten years Em."

"Wow." She smiled. Suddenly they heard footsteps behind them, turning her head she saw three kids standing staring at the tree, the tallest and Emily guessed oldest walked over and turned the lights on, lighting the tree up. She smiled, all three kids looked memorized by the glow. Her father poked her and pointed up to the loft. Where JJ and her stood, wrapped up in the moment.

"Alright Em… time to go." He said putting a hand on her shoulder again. The next thing Emily knew she was sitting back on the couch with Socks in her lap and Scooter staring at her.

"What?" She snapped at the dog who licked her face and ran away. "Socks you gotta get up mommy is going upstairs." She said and the cat huffed but got up. Emily walked up stairs, back to her bedroom, getting back in bed she pulled JJ against her.

"Hmmm… mom… I like that idea." She said before giving in to sleep.

x-x-x

a/n: Ok so should I do a follow up to this or not? I'm thinking I may but I just don't know. Insight would be nice, thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

Emily woke to Socks staring down at her.

"Good morning to you too." She whispered and the cat hissed then started toward JJ. "Hey missy if you wake her up I so wont feed you." She warned and the cat stopped dead in her tracks, Emily picked her up and set her on the ground before wrapping JJ back in her arms. It wasn't ten minutes later that J was up and kissing Emily.

"Morning." Emily whispered.

"Merry Christmas." JJ grinned before tugging Emily out of bed. "Come on, it's Christmas morning!" She looked at Emily over her shoulder a slight pout on her lips. Emily chuckled and wrapped her arms around JJ.

"Ok, let's go." She kissed JJ. "Our first as an old married couple."

"Oh you might be old, but I am still young." JJ said eyebrows raised. They went downstairs, Emily started a fire as JJ grabbed a blanket off the couch. She walked back over to Emily sitting in front of her, Emily sat down pulling JJ to her, just like every Christmas.

"Here," Emily said leaning over grabbing a gift. "You first." She kissed JJ neck, they swapped the few gifts they got each other before JJ turned to face Emily, her last gift in hand.

"Emily," JJ smiled and wrapped her legs around Emily, handing her the envelope. She watched Emily open the letter and start reading, "Hmmm, don't need your glasses this time?" She picked on the woman, suddenly Emily looked up at her.

"I… You are…" Emily couldn't find words. "A kid."

"Our kid."

"We're going to have a child." Emily wrapped her arms around JJ kissing her, tears falling from her eyes.

"We are." JJ said kissing Emily back.

x-x-x

The next year instead of being up in the middle of the night debating if she really believed in the good things that happen with Christmas Emily sat with baby Alice in her arms. It was just after three in the morning and Alice had woken up for her early bottle, Emily was always the one to wake up and feed her, she enjoyed the time alone with her daughter. Tonight she had taken her into the living room where the tree stood, decorated with lights, bulbs, and garland it stood proudly as the lights raced in a pattern around and around. Looking down at Alice she smiled and whispered to the child.

"Your grandfather would be so proud of you." Emily watched as Alice yawned and curled further into her trying to stay warm.

x-x-x

Ten years later, Emily found herself in the same situation as eleven years prior. She sat on the couch head in her hands, tears streaking her cheeks, Socks in her lap and an aged Scooter by her side. Her three children all upstairs tucked neatly in their beds, or so she thought.

"Mommy." Emily looked up and saw Fritz standing there in his footie pajamas, blanket in hand, she stretched her arms out and let Fritz run and jump in her arms. "Why mommy sad?" The two year old asked taking the edge of his blanket wiping the tears away.

"It's ok buddy." Emily said burying her face in the top of his head. Fritz wrapped his arms around Emily's neck kissing her cheek.

"I kiss it better." He said making Emily nearly sob, she clutched him tighter. "Mommy shouldn't be sad on Christmas." He said. When the stairs squeaked Emily looked up to see JJ staring at them.

"Why don't you go back to bed, Santa will be coming soon." Emily said letting him hug her once more before he headed up stairs, hugging JJ on his way. JJ ruffled his hair before joining Emily on the couch, she slipped her arms around Emily's waist and just relaxed. Emily had her arms around JJ pulling her on top of her as she laid down.

"You know, I should be angry at you." JJ said, Emily nodded.

"I know."

"I just can't be though, because I get it, but Emily you have us, your three beautiful children, and me. I'd tell you to grow up but all I really want is for you to talk to me, and please don't make me beg." She asked looking down at her wife.

"Ok JJ." She whispered kissing her. Three hours later the three children were standing on the stairway watching their mothers sleep, the presents not under the tree. They expected to find a fire burning the video camera up and their mothers waiting for them. Alice ushered them back upstairs before coming back down and waking her mothers up.

"Mom, it's Christmas." She said when JJ's eyes opened. "They're expecting the normal… we're worried." She said truthfully.

"It's ok, go back upstairs and watch the cartoon Grinch with Fritz and Clair, when its done we'll be ready ok?" She asked as Alice nodded and ran back upstairs. JJ kissed Emily's forehead waking her up. "Love, we need to move, our children are worried about us, and we haven't set their Christmas up yet." She whispered and Emily groaned, JJ chuckled and kissed her. "Just think after they open everything, and we eat breakfast, they'll put in a movie and we'll be undisturbed for at least an hour." She grinned as Emily started to move. It only took them twenty minutes to set up everything the kids were expecting, JJ had put her arms around Emily kissing her.

"Hang on," JJ said pulling away grabbing a present she gave it to Emily.

"Oh no, we're waiting for the kids."

"Not this time." JJ said and Emily nodded taking the box, inside she found two rings and a note.

"What is…"

"It says that no matter what we have each other through thick and thin, that you'll always have me." She said stepping up to Emily, taking the rings she placed one on Emily's finger and the other on her own. "You'll never be alone." She said kissing Emily.

"Mommy happy!" Fritz said as he hurried down the stairs crashing into Emily's legs. Six year old Clair walked up to JJ and pointed to the pile of presents, JJ chuckled and nodded watching Clair sit down right where she stood. Alice walked over taking her usual spot next to the fire. Without further delay Emily and JJ handed the gifts out, as tradition only one person was allowed to open a gift at a time, and they always had a family gift. When all the single gifts were open Emily looked at JJ and stood up, heading toward the den.

"Where's mommy going?" Alice asked.

"She'll be right back." JJ promised watching as Clair leaned into Alice yawning again. Emily walked back into the room with a tiny fuzzy ball of fur in her arms.

"Guys we would like you to meet the newest member of our family, Gunner." Emily said laying the puppy down on the floor for her children to look at. He blinked his little eyes and yawned looking up at each face before walking up to Clair and settling in her lap. Fritz pulled at his tail and ears.

"Mommy he's so fluffy." He said and Emily nodded. "He's fluffier than Scooter." At his name Scooter came trotting up, he looked at the puppy and up at Emily with a 'how dare you' face before walking away.

"He's going to be huge." Alice whispered to JJ who nodded.

"I wanted a westie, but your mother had her heart set on him, and I don't blame her, but we have to watch out these next few weeks, his brothers and sisters still need a home." She said watching the little German Shepard puppy naw on his own tail, jumping when it hurt, she couldn't help but laugh at him. She looked over her shoulder at Emily who had sat behind her, Emily's arms wrapped tightly around JJ. JJ leaned up and kissed Emily.

"Merry Christmas Emily." She smiled cupping her wife's cheek.

"Merry Christmas JJ." Emily smiled back down at JJ.

x-x-x

A/n: Well I hope this suffices as a follow up to the first part, and Merry Christmas, or happy holidays, which ever floats your boat.


End file.
